Changeable drive-gear.



PATENTED APR. so, 1907.

J. WIECHMANN.

GHANGEABLE DRIVE GEAR. APPLICATION FILED JUN-1: 13. 190e.

W/TA/ESSES ZZi/g JOHN WIEOHMANN, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

CHANGEABLE DRIVE-GEAR.

Application led June 13,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

1906. Serial No. 321,534.

To all lll/w77?, llt 71u07/ concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN WinoimkNN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York,have invented a new and Improved Changeable Drive-Gear, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to the transmission of power', and its object isto provide a new and improved changeable drive gear, arranged to insurean easy yet powerful transmission of power from one shaft to another,and to allow convenient and quick change of speed and reversal of themotion without danger and shock to the connected parts.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and thenpointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanyingl drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate cor` responding parts in allthe views.

Figure l is an inverted plan view of the improvement; Fig. 2 is asectional side elevation of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and Fig.3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of part of the driving wheel,showing more particularly the mounting of the revoluble disks.

Of the shafts A and B illustrated in the drawings, the shaft A ispresumed to be the driving shaft vwhile the shaft B is the driven shaft,and on the driving shaft A is ysecured a wheel C provided in its facewith concentric circular rows of revoluble disks D adapted to be engagedby the peripheral face of a wheel E mounted to turn with and to slide onthe driven shaft B in the direction of the length thereof by the use ofa suitable shifting fork or a like shifting device under the control ofan operator.

Each of the disks D is set in a recess C in the face of the drivingwheel C, and the outer face of each disk D is preferably raised abovethe face of the wheel C, and between the inner or rear face of the diskD and the back wall of the recess C is interposed a ball bearing F toinsure an easy rotation of the disk D in the recess C whenever the diskD is in driving engagement with the peripheral surface of the drivenwheel E.

Each disk D is provided with a stern D i mounted to turn in the wheel C,and on the l upper outer end of the stem D screws anut D2 to hold thedisk D and its ball bearing F in proper position within thecorresponding recess C.

The peripheral face of the driven wheel E is preferably provided with acovering E of felt, rubber or other suitable material. New, when theshaft A and the wheel O are rotated, it is evident that the frictionalcontact between the corresponding row of disks D with the peripheralface of the wheel E causes a rotation of the latter and consequently ofthe shaft B, it being, however, understood that the speed with which theshaft B is driven from the shaft A depends on the position of the drivenwheel E relative to the row of disks D with which the wheel is inengagement at the time. Thus when the wheel E is moved farther inward onthe face of the wheel C the shaft B is driven at a lower rate of speedthan that given to the shaft A, and the speed of the shaft B can beincreased by shifting the wheel E farther outward relative to thedriving wheel C. In changing the speed the wheel E is disengaged fromone row of disks and moved into position to be engaged by another row ofdisks that will give the desired speed.

It will also be noticed that by engaging the wheel E with the disks D onone side of the axis of the wheel C a rotary motion is given to theshaft B in one direction, and when the wheel E is shifted to theopposite side of the axis of the wheel O then the motion of the shaft Bis reversed. Thus, by shifting the wheel E lengthwise on its shaft B anydei sired speed can be given to the shaft B, and the motion thereof canbe reversed whenever it is desired to do so.

Now, by the arrangement described, the disks D of the row in drivingengagement at the time with the wheel E rotate when coming in contactwith the peripheral surface of the wheel E, so that all binding actionbetween the disks and the wheel E is prevented, and at the same time apowerful transmission of the power takes place from the shaft A to theshaft B. The disks D rotate freely owing to the interposition of theball bearings E above described and illustrated in the drawings, and thedisks in each circular row are set close together to practically form acontinuous surface for engagement by the peripheral face of the wheel E.

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' Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

l friction Wheels, Of which one is provided in I 5 l. A gear, comprisinga pair of friction wheels, of which one is provided in its face withrevoluble disks adapted to be engaged by the peripheral face of theOther Jfriction wheel.

2. A'changeable gear, comprising a pair of friction wheels, of which oneis provided in its face with concentric rows of revoluble disks adaptedto be engaged by the periph- 5 eral face of the other friction wheel.

3. A changeable gear, comprising a pair of its face with concentric rowsof revoluble disks adapted to be engaged by the peripheral face of theother friction wheel, and ball bearings for the said disks in theirfriction wheel.

In testimony whereof I have signed lny naine to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN VIECHMANN.

Vitnesses JOHN THOMSON, JOHN A. MCGINTY.

